MDG Scene  906 1853-6

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Instrumental

Mendelssohn: Organ works

Leo van Doeselaar, organ
Thomas Hill Organ, Pieterskerk, Leiden (NL)


Innovative Drive
It must have been a genuine wakeup experience. When Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy first played the organ in England, he surprised his public with his virtuosity, which was completely unknown to the British on this instrument. His pedal playing was particularly impressive, and as a consequence England’s extremely conservative organ building experienced an unprecedented innovative drive. The organ built by Thomas Hill attests to this watershed development. It was saved from demolition in St. John’s Church in London and – only recently freshly restored – can now be experienced as a choir organ in St. Peter’s Church in Leiden in Holland. Leo van Doeselaar is now presenting this marvel of English organ design for the first time on Super Audio CD – of course with works by Mendelssohn.

Impressive Might
The mighty impression left by Mendelssohn in England survived this master of classicist romanticism by many years. When his death caused the stream of new organ works to run dry, orchestral works were arranged with great success for the organ. William Thomas Best in particular distinguished himself in this department. Mendelssohn’s magnificent Reformation Symphony elaborating Luther’s chorale “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” in its finale was an ideal choice, and van Doeselaar has also included the overture to Paulus in his program.

Serious Stuff
The Six Sonatas certainly number among Mendelssohn’s best-known organ works. However, it is not so widely known that these sonatas actually represent a collection of études for organ and were compiled especially for English organists. Not all of these finely crafted études can be made to fit the strict sonata idea. Leo van Doeselaar has selected some of these lesser known character pieces. A special highlight: van Doeselaar, also an outstanding pianist, rises to the challenge of the Variations sérieuses – of course on the organ.

Sacred Space
Just as the urbane and polyglot Mendelssohn eagerly absorbed foreign influences, so too the achievements of Continental organ building have left their mark on Thomas Hill’s organ. And since Leo van Doeselaar’s recording of the works of Heinrich Scheidemann (awarded an Echo Klassik prize in 2013) was produced on the grand van Hagebeer Renaissance organ in the same church space, this room-related 3D recording facilitates the comparison of its period sound and the (English) romantic sound ideal.